The present invention relates to a gaming layout having a jackpot area and more particularly to a Craps gaming layout arrangement which permits the game of Craps to be played in a conventional manner while simultaneously introducing a jackpot into the game.
The magical allure of being able to "Hit The Jackpot" has always held special fascination for the populous as a whole. Typically, an extremely large payoff or jackpot is available as part of a basic wager so that the mere possibility of the jackpot is relied upon as a lodestone to attract consumer interest in such gaming devices as, for example, slot machines.
In states such as Nevada and New Jersey which have legalized gambling, competition among casinos and the like in attracting clientele to gaming establishments has always been quite fierce. Such competition has generally proceeded in terms of the magnificence of the establishment, incentives provided to patrons, and, to a limited extent, jackpots made available through specialized gaming devices such as slot machines or by special rules arranged to apply to a large number of simultaneous games, such as in tournaments. However, the ability to compete in terms of the magnificence of the establishment and incentives provided to patrons quickly becomes saturated due to practical considerations.
Jackpots provided as the sole payoff on specialized gaming devices do not present an effective or a continued attraction to patrons. This occurs since regular patrons of such establishments will generally not continue to be attracted to a gaming device whose sole ability is to provide a jackpot since the odds associated therewith are inordinately high and these devices do not otherwise provide patron satisfaction.
Heretofore, the ability to inject the aura of a jackpot into conventional gaming equipment has been highly limited. This has resulted since conventional gaming arrangements cannot be provided with the possibility of winning a jackpot without a major modification of the game arrangement and in fact a changing of the way or rules by which the conventional game is played. This is objectionable since only traditional forms of gaming have wide appeal to patrons.
In addition, jackpot arrangements which occur as a result of conditions which do not involve the patron have always been somewhat suspect and not well received by the public. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,019 issued to Berman discloses the use of jackpot areas in the game of Craps wherein the jackpot areas are defined by a geometric shape embossed on the Craps table. A jackpot condition is attained when a die rebounds off the dice table wall and lands completely inside the geometric shape. The question arises as to whether the player rolling the dice is playing craps or is rather attempting his skill at putting a die in the geometric shape. This destroys or changes the atmosphere of the conventional game of craps being played. Also, the jackpot condition involved in Berman does not depend on any additional wagering possibilities related to the various dice outcomes in the game of Craps.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a gaming layout arrangement for the game of Craps which includes a jackpot condition dependent on additional wagering events related to the various dice outcomes in the game of Craps.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a gaming layout arrangement for the game of Craps that permits the game of Craps to be played in the conventional manner while providing without game interference the additional availability of a jackpot. An additional object of this invention is to provide a gaming layout arrangement for the game of Craps that permits a player to wager on jackpot possibilities corresponding to a high payoff.
A further object is to provide a gaming layout arrangement for the game of Craps including a jackpot wherein the jackpot condition is attained by rolling a pre-defined series of dice outcomes.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, which, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrates, by way of example, the principles of the invention.